Peru authorizes military to intervene in protests

2009-06-23 19:39:05 -

LIMA, Peru (AP) - Peru's government is authorizing the use of military force in a region where anti-government protesters have blocked highways and burned down a local customs house on Sunday.
The declaration published in Tuesday's official gazette also suspends a state of emergency in Peru's jungle provinces, where police clashes with Indian protesters in early June left at least 33 dead.
Those protests eased after Congress revoked decrees that opened Amazonian tribal lands to private development.
The new demonstrations in the highland provinces of Cuzco, Apurimac and Junin cover a wide array of demands, ranging from opposition to privatization of water to demands mining concessions be voided.